Railway traffic-controlling apparatus



June 9, 1925. f

R. A.v MccANN RAILWAY TRAFFIC coNTRoLLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled March 14 1925 u@ ww Il NSN: wmmx@ INVENTOR:

BY /Sf/e ATTORNEY June 9, 1925. 1,541,232 R. A. MCCANN RAILWAY TRAFFICCONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed March 14 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Appliesralces I When ZJe-Enefgized lNvENToR:

#5@ ATTORNEY Patented .lune 9, i925.

Ulll'l STATES PATENT FFC.

RONALD A. REGGAE-TN, GF SWISV'ALE, PENNSYLVANA, ASSIGNORVTO THE UNIONSVITCH @a SIG-NAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANA, A. CORPORATION 0FPENNSYLVANIA.

RAILVIAY TBAFFIC-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 14, 1925. Serial No. 15,647.

To all volto/my t may concern.'

Be it known that l, RONALD A. MCCANN, a citizen. of the United States,residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and tate ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements inRailway Traflic-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following' is aspecification.

My invention relates to railway traiiic controlling apparatus, andparticularly. to apparatus'of the type comprising governing means on atrain controlled by an energy source also on the train, such as theusual headlight generator andwhich train carried governing -means isalso controlled by energy received from the trackway.

lnat least one form of apparatus of the type de cribed which hashithertobeen suggested the train carried governing means normallyrequires the supply of energy both from said train carried source and`from the trackway to `prevcnt an automatic application of the brakes. v

Apparatus has already been .suggested 33 however for cutting out thetrain carried governing means, that is, for rendering this meansineffective to apply the brakes when the train passes out of territorywhich Ais CII Y provided with .trackway apparatus for posi tivelycontrolling the train carried governing` means provided the enginemantakes suitable action.

@ne feature ofmy invention is the provision, in apparatus of this type,of means for permitting the brakes to be released after the traincarried generator vhas been stopped and again started up, provided theapparatus was cut out before the generator stopped.

I will describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.l

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a diagrammatic view showing oneform of trackway apparatus for supplying energy to trains. Fig. 2 -is aview, partially diagrammatic, illustrating one form of train carriedapparatus for co-operation with the 50 trackway apparatus shown in Fig.l and embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a View illustrating a modifiedform of thetrai'n carried apparatus shown in Fig. 2 and also embodyingmy inventionv in advance.

divided, by means of yinsulated joints 2, into a plurality of tracksections A-B, B-C, etc. The portion of track to the left of point B isprovided with apparatus for supplying -energy to trains, and thisportion of the track may therefore be termed positive controlterritory.7 The portion to the right of point B is not provided withsuch apparatus, and this portion of track may F therefore be callednon-positive control territory. Each track section is provided with atrack relay designated by the reference character R, with an exponentcorresponding to the location, and connected vacross the rails adjacentthe entrance end of the associated section.v Each track sec-' tion issupplied with track circuit current from a track battery -connectedacross the rails adjacent the eXit end of the section. Means are alsoprovided for supplying each section in the positive control territorywith alternating train controlling current. immediate source of suchtrain controlling current is a track transformer designated by thereference character T with an appropriate exponent, and having itssecondary 4: connected across the -rails of the associated section inseries with the ycorresponding track battery 5. The primary 6 of eachtrack transformer T is supplied with alternating current from a suitablesource, such as lan alternator M, over line wires 3 and 3, The circuitfor the primary of each track transformer is carried over a frontcontact 7 of the-track relay R for the section next It is thereforeplain that each track vsection in the positive control territory issupplied with alternating train controlling current when .the sectionnext in advance is unoccupied. A

Adjacent the entrance end of the nonpositive control territory areappair of auX- iliary conductors 8 and 8a located in the trackwayadjacent the rails l and la, respectively. The conductors 8 and 8EL `areconnected in series and are constantly supplied with alternating currentfrom secondary k9 The uit

of a step-down transformer D. The primary 1() of transformer D issupplied with alternating current from line wires 3 and 3a, and theparts are so proportioned and adjusted that the current in conductors 8and 3 is of considerably greater magnitude than the train controllingcurrent flowing in the rails in the positive control territory. Thepurpose of these auxiliary conductors will be explained in connectionwith the operation ot the train carried apparatus.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the train carried apparatus comprises a relayG, which l will call the main relay, and which is controlled by energyreceived `trom the trackway. For this purpose the train is provided witha pick-up device E comprising a pair et magnetizable cores 12 and 12uarranged in inductive relation with the two track rails 1 and 1a,respectively, and carried on the train in advance of the forward axle11, as illustrated in Fig. 1. yCore 12 is provided with a winding 13,and core 12EL is provided with a similar' winding 13a, the two windings13 and 13' being so connnected that the voltages induced therein byalternating currents flow' ig in opposite directions in the two trackrails at any instant are additive. These windings 13 and 13 areconnected, through suitable amplifying apparatus 14n, with the terminalsof main relay G. Relay G is therefore energized when the train occupiesportion of track which is being supplied with alternating current. 'Thisrelay G controls governing mechanism comprising a polarized controllerP, a pneuin'atic relay l, and a brake applying magnet L arranged toapply the brakes when deenergized. The polarized controller P comprisesa magnetizable core 16 provided with va-winding 1'?, and a pivotedarmature 83 adapted to swing toward the lett or toward the right,depending upon the polarity of the current supplied to winding 17. Bymeans of a togglel spring 39, armature 88 is held positively in theposition to which it is last moved.

Pneumatic relay K comprises a cylinder 24 containing a piston 25 biasedto its lower positiony by a spring 26. Fluid pressure, usually air, isat times supplied to cylinder 24 beneath piston 25 by means of a valve2O controlled by polarized controller l. The valve body 19 comprises achamber 19"L coustantly connected with a source ot air pressure, notshown in the drawings, by means of pipe 21. Zhen armature 83 ofcontroller P is swung to the left, the lower side ot piston 25 isexposed to atmospheric pressure through port 22, valve 20 and port 23,and the piston occupies its lower position. It, however, armature 38'isswung to the right, valve 2O is correspondingly shifted and. air isadmitted from chamber 19, through valve 2O and port 22 to the undersideot piston ,25,

driving this piston upward against the bias ot spring 26. Piston 25 otrelay K controls three contacts 5G, le and a?, which are arranged to beropen when the piston is in its lower position, and to be closed when thepiston is moved upwardly.

rlhe train carried apparatus further comprises a manually operable pushbutton Q comprising a plurality of contacts normally biased to theirlower positions by gravity but arranged when the push button Q, isactua-ted to be moved into their upper positions. Y

Energy is supplied to'polarized controller P and to magnet L trom asuitable source, such as a generator H, which may be the usual headlightgenerator found on steam locomotives.

lt will he noticed that a resistance 15 is included in circuit withrelay G, and that this resistance is normally shunted by a contact 4,2of push button Q, which contact 'is normally closed. 1When contact 42 isclosed,

rela* G is energized it the train is on a oor- .Y b l tion oit trackwhich is being supplied with train controlling current. But ifcontact112 is open, thereby placing resistance 15 in series with relayG, the current then supplied to the relay when the train occupies asection oic track which is being supplied with train controlling currentis not sufficient to energize the relay. 1I", however, with contact l2open., the pickup device E is over the auxiliary conductors 3 and 8, thecomparatively large current in these conductors induces a sutiicientlylarge current in the pickup device to energize relay G.

1n explaining the operation ort' the apparatus, l will first assume thatthe train occu pies a section ot track which is being supplied withalternating train controlling current, and that push button Q, is in itslower position. Resistance 15 is therefore shunted and the voltageinduced in the pickup device E causes relay G to be energized. Currentthen flows from generator H, through wires 2T an d 23, front contact 29ot relay G, wirey 30, lower point ot contact 31 ot push button Q, wires32 and 33, winding 17 ot controller l, wires 34, 35 and 40, lower pointot contact 36 oit push button Q, wire 37, trout contact 38 of relay G,and wire 39, back to geiierator H. The direction ot this current is suchthat arn'iaturerSS ot control.- ler P is swung to the lett, therebyallowing piston 25 ot relay K to drop to its lower position and open thecontacts associated therewith. Another circuit may be traced fromgenerator' H, through wire 2T, front contact 49 of relay G, wires 50 and51, brake applying magnet L, and wire 52 back to generator E. lt istherefore plain that with push button Q in the position illustrated, aslong as train controlling current is supplied to the section ot trackoccupied by the train the brake applying iii'agnet is energized and thetrain is permitted to proceed Without retardation. If, however, thesupply of train contro-lling `current tothe rails should be interrupted,the resulting deenergization of relay G would interrupt the circuit formagnet vL and a brake application Would resul i.

l will nou' assume that the train passes from positive control territoryto non-positive control territory. lf push 'button Q is operated as thevtrain is passing Aover conductors 8 and 8a, relay G lconti-nues to beenergized, as has already been explained, and a circuit is thencompleted from geilerator H, through Wires 27 and 28, front contact 29of relay Gr, Wire 30, upper point of contact 3l on push button Q, Wires335 and 3l, winding v17 of controller P, Wires and 32, upper pointofcontaet 86 on push button Q, Wire 37, front Contact 3S of relay Gr,and Wire 39 back to generator H. The polarity of the current thensupplied rto controller P is such that armature 88 is swung to theright, lcausing ypneumatic relay K to close `the contacts 47, 44 land 56rcontrol-led thereby. Should the -train leave conductors 8 and 8 'beforepush button (il is released, rela G will becomecle-energized aiidcurrentWill vthen flow from generator li,

yth-rougdi Wires 27 and 28, bac-k contact 29 (iii of relay G, Wire i3,lcontact il of relay l, Wires 45 and 8l, Winding 17 ef controller' P,Wires 33 and 4:6, contact 47 of relay K, Wire 48, `back-contact 38 ofrelay G, and `Wire B9 back togenerator H. Thecurrent supplied tocontroller P over the circuit just traced is also of such polarity as tomove armature 8S to the right and lthe ari-nature is there fore held inits right hand position yand re- -lay ii continues to be actuated. llhenpusli button Q is released, the closing of `contact 5l theieof completesan auxiliary circuit for magnet L, from generator lil., through Wire 53,contactl 5l of Ypush button Q, Wire 55, contact 56 of relay K, Wires 57and 5l, winding of magnet L, and wire 52 back to generator H. It shouldbe pointed out that this auxiliary circuit for ii'iagnet L-does notinclude a contact on relay G, and that the ti'ain can therefore proceedwithout retardation valthough relay (nl is Cle-energized. Contact 56remains closed because armature 8S is held in its right hand posit-ienuntil winding 17 of controller P is supplied with current of suchpolarity as -to iiiove armature 88 to the left.

Should generator l-l be stopped While Contact 56 is closed, magnet LWill, of

course, be cle-energized and the brakes beV appli-ed. llllien generatorH is again stai't- Aed, however, vcur-rent is immediately supplied overthe auxiliary circuit for magnet L and the brakes can then be released.lt should be particularly `noted that the stopping of generator H,although it de-eiier gizes magnet L, does not atleet the remainingapparatus, and that controller P coiiti'nues to hold armature 88 in itsright hand position. One condition under which this feature is valuableis when the locomotive carrying the train carried apparatus illustratedin Fig. 2 is temporarily Withdrawn from' service, as during the intervalbetween runs, and the headlight generator is stopped. Under suchconditions the locomotive is run into non-positiVe-control territory, asinto a round house. The train carried apparatu-s will therefore be cutout,7 and controller P Will be energized in the reverse direction toactu-ate relay K. TvVlien the generator sto-ps, then, the brakes areapplied, but contact 56 of relay K will be closed Whenair pressure issup lied to chamber 19a. lhen' the generator is again started. magnet LWill immediately become encrgiz'ed, and permit the 'brakes to `bereleased.

I Will assume that the apparatus has ybeen cutout, as explainedhereinbefore, so that relay Gr is cle-energized, push `button Q is intheposition' illustrated, and armature 8S of controller P is iii itsright hand position. Relay K is therefore actuated to close itscontacts, and magnet L is energized over its auxiliary circuit. lf.,under these conditions, the trai-n `enters a stretch of track vsuppliedwith train controlling current, re-

layGr immediately becomes energized, reversing the polarity of' thecurrent supplied to Winding 17 of controller P. Armature `Sil thenswings to the left, and relay l opens its contacts, and interrupts the.auxiliary circuit for magnet L. Theclosing of fron-t contact i9 ofrelay .G completes the vmain circuit for magnet L however and the partsare therefore restored t their normal conditions. The train is thenpermitted to proceed Without retardation as long as the ltrack occupiedby the train `is supplied -with train controlling current.

Referring -noW 'to Fig. 8, in the Ymodification here shown relay Gr issupplied with energy as in Fig. 2 from the pickup device E. Theresistance l is normally shunted by contact l2 of push butto'nQ, asliei'einbefore lll!) explained, so that if the push button is in itsnormal position relay G is energized When a train occupies a strentch oftrack which is being supplied with train controlling current, but ifpush button Q is oper- Aated to Aopen contact l2 relay G is energizedonly if the pickup device E is over auxiliary 4conductors 8 and 8a.

The polarized vcontroller P is similar to the controller P of Fig. 2 butis further provided with a contact arranged to be closed only whenarmature 88is swung lto the right. The reference character J designatesa stick relay comprising vtwo windings 58 and 59. When push lbutton Q,is in its .normal positien and Irelay i G is energized, relay J isdeenergized and current flows from generator H, through wire 60, Jirontcontact 61 of relay G, wires V62 and 63, back Contact 64 of relay J,wire 65, Winding 17 of controller P, wire 66, brake controlling magnetL, wire 67, back contact 68 of relay J, wires 69 and 70, front contact7l of relay G and wire 72 to generator H. lWhen this circuit is closedthe polarity oi the current supplied to controller P is such thatarmature 86 is swung to the left, but magnet L is, of course, energizedand the train is allowed to proceed without retardation. When the trainpasses over auxiliary conductors 8 and 6a and push button Q is operatedto cut out the train carried governing means, a circuit is establishedfrom generator H, through wire 60, front contact 6l oic relay G, wires62 and 73, contact 74 of push button Q, wire 75, winding 58 of relay J,Wires 76 and 70, front contact 71 of relay G, and wire 72 to generatorH. Relay J thereore becomes energized. rlhe engineman then restores pushbutton Q, to its normal position and relay G becomes deenergized. Astick circuit is then established for retaining relay J in its energizedcondition as long as relay G remains cle-energized. This stick circuitmay be traced from generator H, through wire 60, back contact 6l oirelay G, wires 77 77a and 80a, front contact of relay J, Wires 81 and82, Winding 59 of relay J, wire 83, contact 84C of push button Q, wiresandV 79, back contact 71 of relay G and wire 72 to generator H. Relay Gnow being de-energized and relay J being energized, current fromgenerator H flows through wire 60, back contact 61 of relay G, Wires 77and 7 8, trent contact 62 of relay J, Wire 67, magnet L, wire 66,winding 17 of controller l), wire 65, front contact 64 of relay J, wire79, back contact 7l of relay G and wire 72 to generator H. Villen thiscircuit is closed, the polarity of the current supplied to controller Pis such that armature 88 is swung to the right. Brake applying magnet Lis, of course, energized and the brakes are released.

liVith the apparatus in this condition,

' will assume that generator H is stopped or 'for some other reasonrendered ineffective to supply current to the train carried governingmeans. Relay J, of course, becomes de-energized, does magnet L, and thebrakes are applied. Controller' l), however, being last energized bycurrent of such polarity as to swing armature 88 to the right, thecontact controlled by this armature is closed, and when generator H isagain started or placed in service, current immediately flows throughwire 60, back contact 6l of relay G, Wires 77, 77L and 87, contact 8S ofcontroller P, wires 90 and 82, winding 59 of'relay J, wire 63, contact84 of push button Q3, wires 8.5 and 79, back contact 7l of relay G, andwire 72 to generator H. Relay J therefore becomes en ergized and issubsequently maintained in its energized condition over the stickcircuit including its own front contact 8O as previously traced. Currentis therefore supplied as explained hereinbeore to brake applying magnetL and to controller P. The brakes are therefore released and controllerl? continues to be energized in such direction as to close contact 88thereon.

Should the train enter a stretch of track which is supplied withalternating train controlling current, relay G would become energized,thereby interrupting the stick circuit ifor relay J, and allowing thisrelay to become deenergized. As a result the polarity of the currentsupplied to controller l? would be reversed and contact 88 would beopened. Magnet L would, however, be energized over front contact 61 etrelay G and back contact 64 of relay J, and the train could proceedWithout retardation as long as relay G remained energized.

It should be pointed out that with apparatus embodying my invention it'the train carried governing means has not been cut out by propermanipulation of push button Q as the receiving apparatus E passes overconductors 8 and 8a, the stopping of generator kH will result in a brakeapplication and that when the generator is again started the brakes willnot be released because contact 88 of controller P will then be open andrelay J cannot pick up. Under such conditions, therefore, it isnecessary to energize relay B before the brakes can be released.

Although l have herein shown and described only two forms of apparatusembodying 1n*7 invention, it is understood that various changes andmodiiications may be made therein within the scope Ott the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having th'us described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In combination, a stretch of railway track having positive controlterritory equipped with primary means for supplying train controlling`energy to trains and non-positive control territory not so equipped,auxiliary means located at the entrance to said non-positive control teiritory for supplying an excess et energy to trains, a first relay on atrain for receiving energy from the traekuf'ay, a polarized controllercontrolledby said lirst train relay, and means on the train includingsaid first relay and said polarized controller and responsive to energyfrom said auxiliary means but not to energy from said primary means forconditioning the train to proceed through said non-positive controlterritory without interruption. Y

2, .ln combination, a stretch of railway track having positive controlterritory equipped with means for supplying train controlling' energy to`trains and non-positive control territory not so equipped, auX- i'liarymeans located at the entrance to nonpositive control territory torsupplying va greater amount of energy to trains, a circ'uit on a trainreceiving energy from both oi said trackivay means and including anormally shunted resistance, a relay controlled by said receivingcircuit and responsive to energy supplied in positive controlterritorywhen said resistance is shunted but not when the shunt is open,said-relay being responsive to the energy supplied by said auxiliarymeans when the shunt is open, governing mechanism controlled by saidrelay and normally requiring that the relay be closed to permit thetrain to proceed uf'ithout retardation, a polarized con,- trollercontrolled by said first relay and noi'- mally energized in onedirection, manually operable means for simultaneously opening said shuntand energizing` said polarized controller in the opposite direction, andmeans controlled by said polarized controller and said manually operablemeans for rendering said governing mechanism in-l effective to retardthe train in non-positive control territory.

3. In combination, a stretch of railway track having positive controlterritory equipped With means for supplying train controlling energy totrains and non-positive control territory not so equipped, auX- iliarymeans located at the entrance to nonpositive control territory forsupplying a greater amoimt of energy to trains, a circuit on a trainreceiving energy from both of said trackWay means and including anormally shunted resistance, a relay controlled by said receivingcircuit and responsive to energy supplied in positive control territorywhen said resistance is shunted but not when the shunt is open, saidrelay being responsive to the energy supplied by said auxiliary meansWhen the shunt is open, governing mechanism controlled by said relay andnormally requiring that the relayA be closed to permit the train toproceed Without retardation, a polarized controller controlled by saidfirst relay and normally energized in one direction, a pin valveoperated by said polarized controller, a normally open contactcontrolled by said valve and to be closed When the polarized controlleris energized in the reverse direction, manually operable means forsimultaneou'sly opening said shunt and energizing said polarizedcontroller in the reverse direction, and means controlled by saidmanually operable means and by said normally open contact'for renderingsaid governing mechanism ineffective to retard the train in non-positivecontrol territory.

4l. In combination, a stretch oi rail Tay track having positive controlterritory equipped with means for supplying train controlling energy totrains and non-positive control territory not so equipped, auX- iliarymeans located at the entrance to nonpositive control'territory forsupplying a greater amount of energy to trains, a circuit on a trainreceiving energy from both of said trackivay means and including anormally shunted resistance, a relay controlled by said receivingcircuit and responsive to energy supplied in positive control territoryWhen said resistance is shunted but not When the shunt is open, saidrelay being responsive to the energy supplied by said auXiliary meanswhen the shunt is open, a normally cle-energized stick relay, manuallyoperable means for simultaneously opening said shunt and supplyingenergy to said stick relay over a front contact of said first relay, apolarized relay, means for supplying such polarized relay with currentof one polarity When said lirst relay is energized but said stick relayis deenergized, means for reversing the polarity of the current suppliedto such polarized relay when said first relay is cle-energized and saidstick relay is energized, governing mechanism connected in series Withsaid polarized relay and arranged to apply the brakes when de-energized,and means controlled by said polarized relay and by said iirst relay forenergizing said stick relay.

5. In combination, a stretch of railway track having positive controlterritory equipped With means for supplying train controlling energy totrains and non-positive control territory not so equipped, a magnet onthe train arranged when deenergized to apply the brakes, a generator onthe train, means on the train requiring the continuo'us supply ot'energy from the trackivay for connecting said magnet with saidgenerator, and other means `for at times connecting said generator withsaid magnet after the supply of train controlling current from thetrackway is discontinued, said other means being effective it saidgenerator is started after being stopped.

In testimony whereof I atIiX my signature.

RONALD A. MCCANN.

